Birdwatching enthusiasts have a new way to keep track of their winged friends.
A new guide is available for free, making it easier for local families, visitors, first-time and experienced birders to identify and appreciate the birds that can be found in Lethbridge’s wetlands, ponds and river corridors.
It is called ‘Birds of the Lethbridge Waterways’ and features 24 species commonly seen in the city’s ecosystem. The new guide is a follow-up to the ‘Birds of the Lethbridge Forests’ publication, which was created in 2021.
Readers will find identification cues and specific places around Lethbridge where the birds can be spotted. The publication also features descriptions of migration habits, unique traits and facts around feeding styles, nesting practices, and cultural folklore.
“This booklet invites people to sharpen up their observation skills, get out to local waterbodies and really get to know the remarkable birds that share our city with us,” said Vincent Fournier, President of the Friends of Helen Schuler Nature Centre Society.
The guide was authored by local naturalist Anna Larney and provided many of its illustrations. Additional illustrations came from Lethbridge artist Beth Porter, with photographs by Rick Andrews, Ross Millikan, Ken Moore, Charlie Myles, Ken Orich, Doug Petriw and the Helen Schuler Nature Centre. Blackfoot translations used in the guide came from the South-Western Alberta Blackfoot Signage Project.
The new, free ‘Birds of the Lethbridge Waterways” will be available at the Nature Centre and can also be found in the Little Free Libraries around the city after Aug. 6.
